Gadgets

MH40 Over Ear Headphones

It is all but de rigueur to have a proper pair of headphones on your head, whether at work or at home. And, let’s clarify, by ‘proper’ I mean premium leather, perhaps some steel components, an aluminum body, and maybe some 45mm neodymium drivers for high performance. Memory foam lambskin ear pads might also be nice, right? The MH40 has all that and more- take a look at Master & Dynamic for more specs.(more…)

DIY Konstructor Camera

How do you keep someone busy? Give them a DIY Konstructor Camera. It’s a 35mm SLR camera, and you put it together yourself, thereby learning the mechanics of analog photography. There’s a top-down viewfinder, a multiple exposure function, a “bulb” function for long exposures, and a detachable 50mm f/10 lens. It’s appropriate for ages 12 and up, so consider it as a gift for a niece/nephew or a curios co-worker.(more…)

Libratone Zipp Speaker

There’s a pretty significant savings on the Libratone Zipp Speaker– it’s $279.95 down from $449.95. If you’re not familiar, the Libratone Zipp is super portable thanks to its leather handle and compact size, and it streams music wirelessly from whatever device you prefer using Apple’s AirPlay technology. You’ll get 360-degree sound thanks to Libratone’s patent-pending FullRoom™ technology, and, if you’re concerned about color, don’t worry, it comes with three sleeves so you can switch them out as you wish.(more…)

Twill Tablet Case

Maybe your tablet case is looking a little worn down and beaten up, in which case you should drop $20 to get a very simple new one from Everlane. The exterior is 100% cotton twill, the interior 100% twill-fused lining, and it has thinly padded sides to protect your precious. And, hey, $20 is such a steal, you’ve got no excuse to not look professional when you bring your tablet to meetings.(more…)

Gramovox Bluetooth Gramophone

Gramophones made in the 1920s did a couple of things really well; they distributed sound and made a big visual impact with their curvy, horn speakers. Considering we are all about streaming music from our devices nowadays, it’s good to see that Gramovox has married the old Gramophone design with bluetooth technology, giving us the Gramovox Bluetooth Gramophone, a sort of nostalgic filter in which to play our tunes.

The solid walnut base houses the brains, putting the rest of our focus on the larger steel horn. No cords means less clutter, but it also means batteries, though 15+ hours is a good span of play time, and no big deal when you rely on rechargeables. It’s Android™/IOS® compatible, of course, and has a micro USB & stereo input. It’s not the first modernization of the iconic gramophone shape, but this version certainly has an authentic and minimal edge over any competition.(more…)

Pivot Koostik Passive Amplifier

I know, I know, a block of wood with some strange carvings won’t make much sense until you pair the title with the picture. It’s the Pivot Koostik Passive Amplifier, and it does just what it says- it passively amplifies sound on your iPhone. Two channels allow you to set your phone in either landscape or portrait mode, and you can customize the face. However, fair warning, this is more for a woodworker or DIY-er- you have to glue on the faceplate, cut to size and shape you prefer, sand, and then finish. Could be fun project (or gift), right?(more…)

Proper Audio 2

Remember the PA1 Bluetooth Speaker? Well, Studio Proper had decided to make some small changes to make it better, and now there’s the Proper Audio 2, ready for your pledge. The PA2 is a wall mount and portable speaker, giving you some much-needed flexibility when it comes to listening to your music. A quick turn releases or mounts the Proper Audio 2, so there’s little fuss when moving it from room to room, or from home to office or outside.(more…)

Mod Laptop, Craft Edition

It’ll be very hard not to be organized with the Mod Laptop, Craft Edition from This is Ground. First off, the toffee primo leather is a nice, neutral color that will withstand all manner of bumps and bruises, and it will age well according to how you use it. Second, take a look at the interior pockets and slots- there’s a place for everything. So, stow away your cords, writing implements, cards, notebooks, your iPad/tablet, and your laptop (15″ MacBook Pro, 13″ MacBook Air, or the 11″ MacBook Air) and know that you can grab whatever you need quickly and easily; you’ll at least look like you’ve got it all figured out.

Smartphone Projector

Cool! It’s a $40 cardboard projector, and it’s just the thing for getting those movies from your smartphone onto the wall. Photos and videos being shown to the office or at a family gathering just got a whole lot easier, though, do be realistic with your expectations- it is made from cardboard, after all. It’ll be easy to move around, as it’s light, compact and portable, and fits phones up to a maximum size of 3.2 x 5.7 inches.(more…)

Jump Charging Cable

A cable plus charger in a smaller, less bulky size? Yes, please. The Jump will charge your phone as well as packing a power boost whenever/wherever you need it. It automatically charges itself whenever it’s plugged in and packs 800mAh into a compact form that weighs less than two AA batteries. 800mAh means roughly 3 hours of additional talk-time, which will definitely save the day if you’re caught with the dreaded red dead battery sign. Stuff it in a bag or keep it in your pocket and rest assured you’ll have a charge or a boost whenever needed.(more…)

The Convertible Roadtrip Tripod

What will make your photos better? A tripod, of course. No more shaky pics or blurriness, hooray. The Convertible Roadtrip Tripod will show off its features the more you use it. Lightweight aluminum means it’s easy to carry along and, with a few quick twists, you can convert it into a monopod for quick shots. Oh, and for those of you that care, there’s also a bubble level, a bullhead, a center column hook for stabilizing weights, and a carrying case.(more…)

Soba Cable Director from Bluelounge

Most of us would like to ignore the unfortunate mess of cords lurking underneath and around our desks. It’s understandable, as organizing it all seems like such a pain. However, once you take a look at the Soba from Bluelounge, you might actually look forward to organizing those cords. Skeptical? Don’t be. The flexible tube portion has a ‘Vortex zipper’ that allows you to easily open and route cables through from one end to the other. Bundle up to three cords in the tubing and use the mounting clips to keep it all in place. Easy, right? Take a look at the video below for visuals.(more…)

Cone

The Cone portable speaker learns what music you like, and how and when you want to listen. Use voice commands to find music, podcasts, and radio stations, or just turn the dial to play or skip to another song. It has a 3″ woofer on board, dual tweeters, and a 20w amplifier to keep your audio experience pristine. And did I mention that it looks appropriately sleek? It’s easy on the eyes, that’s for sure.(more…)

Walnut & Leather iPhone Case

For your new iPhone 6, you should have a new case, and may I recommend this walnut and leather option from Grovemade? It’s very sleek, yet the materials give a tactile warmth to our cold, cold technology. The case also doubles as a stand, which is essential for all those videos and brilliant photographs you’ll want to look at and show off.

Bigshot Camera

Build a fully functional digital camera! While the Bigshot Camera would be enormously effective in any learning environment, you might also benefit from understanding how science makes capturing images possible. There’s three different lens settings, three fields of view, a flash, a lithium polymer (rechargable) battery, and a hand crank for back up power. Just follow the instructions and in no time you’ll be clicking away. If you do buy one for yourself, also consider buying one for someone else (kid or adult) that would enjoy assembling and using the camera, as $89 is a small price to pay for this sort of knowledge.(more…)